Matthew 6:25-33
Thanksgiving October 7 2012
So here is another Thanksgiving rolling around, and we look around to see what we have to be thankful for. Well, the world hasn't come to an end, World War Three hasn't broken out – yet – so things could be worse! But many of us are struggling with our health, or our life situations. And we look around the church and things have certainly been better.
The people that Joel is talking to in the first reading have certainly seen better times, too. They have experience a great calamity – swarms of locusts. When locusts swarm, they devastate the landscape, eating every scrap of green. They come by the tens of thousands, they are everywhere, eating everything - “my great army, which I sent against you” says the Lord.
This brings up the question, “Did God actually do this to the people?” It's one thing to suffer a natural disaster – something that just happens, an earthquake or a flood. It's not a judgement on us. But it's another thing when we start to suspect that God is punishing us in some way. That messes up our relationship to God. But that is exactly what this text says.
When calamity comes upon us, that is a question that we also may ask, or that at least is lurking in the back of our minds: “Why is God doing this to me?” Of course some times God isn't doing it at all, God is just not interfering with the course of nature – and sometimes allowing us to experience the consequences of our own actions. But every calamity is a wake-up call for us. It is an opportunity to examine our lives and see if there is anything we should change. And that's always a good thing spiritually.
That's been our experience here in this congregation for the past couple of years, too. We look around and it kinda feels like there has been a swarm of locusts that have eaten away the congregation. And this calamity has caused us to examine our life as a church. We have pondered what our purpose as a church is, what God's purpose for us is. We have looked at the neighbourhood to try to see how God wants us to reach out to the people who never come to church. We have tried to see how we could be a different kind of church, a priesthood of all believers that is not dependent on professional clergy.
And so today, we hear a message of hope. We hear God declare through Joel, “I will repay you for the years the swarming locust has eaten... and my people shall never again be put to shame.” “O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has give the early rain for your vindication... My people shall never again be put to shame.”
And indeed, there are a few signs of growth among us, like tiny sprouts of green popping out of the ruined landscape. Some of our young adults have decided to start a KAIROS local committee, and nurture their spiritual lives in that way. The house church that meets Thursdays at Mary's has started to grow. We got another volunteer from the community for Cubs. It's not a full harvest, not yet, but it is a sign of hope in the midst of our weary struggle.
So as Jesus says, we can stop worrying! Worry never helps anything anyway. God is providing for our every need, in fact, God has already provided everything we need to do what God has planned for us. It is time to stop looking at what we don't have, and start looking at what we do have. As Jesus says, it is the gentiles, those who don't know God, who are always worrying about where they are going to get all they need. We know where all our blessings come from. We know that God is taking care of us. So therefore, we can look around at what we have, and be grateful.
Look at what we have: We have a good building that can be used by even more of our friends in other groups. We have some wonderful, talented people. We have good solid theology. And most of all, we have the assurance that God has called us and chosen us, has adopted us and put God's spirit upon us, that God has forgive all our sins and put our feet on right paths.
“Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.” God spoke these words to me a long time ago, or rather, when I read them in the Bible, God highlighted them for me and made me understand that this was a job offer straight from God. And that is God's marching orders for us as a congregation, too. “Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.” We don't even have to find them, just seek them.
So where is God's kingdom? Where should we begin looking? We know from other parts of scripture that God is found among the lost and powerless people. We know that God's kingdom is found among the children, for example. And among the poor. And where is God's righteousness? It is found only in Jesus Christ, and is given to us as a free gift, so that we can live in right relationship with every other part of God's creation.
As a congregation, we are making some steps to seek God's kingdom and God's righteousness. We gather to hear the Good News and to accept the forgiveness of sins that gives us God's righteousness. And we are going out into the neighbourhood to find what God is doing out there in God's kingdom. We are welcoming the neighbourhood children to Beavers and Cubs. We are welcoming the neighbourhood families to Messy Church. We are welcoming our neighbours who have struggled with addictions, not only to NA on Tuesday nights, but also now on Friday nights. We are inviting our neighbours who are concerned about Peace and Justice issues, to a new KAIROS group.
And some of us spend all day quilting so that refugees can have warm coverings.
Is it enough? We have God's promise: “Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and everything else will be given to you as well.” So we know that God has already given us everything we need for our quest, and will give us everything else we need as we go forward.
Remember, this is Our Saviour's church, and it only has one Saviour, and that is Jesus Christ. We don't have to save the church, that's God's job. Our job is to rest in the knowledge that God will provide. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Thanksgiving October 7 2012
So here is another Thanksgiving rolling around, and we look around to see what we have to be thankful for. Well, the world hasn't come to an end, World War Three hasn't broken out – yet – so things could be worse! But many of us are struggling with our health, or our life situations. And we look around the church and things have certainly been better.
The people that Joel is talking to in the first reading have certainly seen better times, too. They have experience a great calamity – swarms of locusts. When locusts swarm, they devastate the landscape, eating every scrap of green. They come by the tens of thousands, they are everywhere, eating everything - “my great army, which I sent against you” says the Lord.
This brings up the question, “Did God actually do this to the people?” It's one thing to suffer a natural disaster – something that just happens, an earthquake or a flood. It's not a judgement on us. But it's another thing when we start to suspect that God is punishing us in some way. That messes up our relationship to God. But that is exactly what this text says.
When calamity comes upon us, that is a question that we also may ask, or that at least is lurking in the back of our minds: “Why is God doing this to me?” Of course some times God isn't doing it at all, God is just not interfering with the course of nature – and sometimes allowing us to experience the consequences of our own actions. But every calamity is a wake-up call for us. It is an opportunity to examine our lives and see if there is anything we should change. And that's always a good thing spiritually.
That's been our experience here in this congregation for the past couple of years, too. We look around and it kinda feels like there has been a swarm of locusts that have eaten away the congregation. And this calamity has caused us to examine our life as a church. We have pondered what our purpose as a church is, what God's purpose for us is. We have looked at the neighbourhood to try to see how God wants us to reach out to the people who never come to church. We have tried to see how we could be a different kind of church, a priesthood of all believers that is not dependent on professional clergy.
And so today, we hear a message of hope. We hear God declare through Joel, “I will repay you for the years the swarming locust has eaten... and my people shall never again be put to shame.” “O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has give the early rain for your vindication... My people shall never again be put to shame.”
And indeed, there are a few signs of growth among us, like tiny sprouts of green popping out of the ruined landscape. Some of our young adults have decided to start a KAIROS local committee, and nurture their spiritual lives in that way. The house church that meets Thursdays at Mary's has started to grow. We got another volunteer from the community for Cubs. It's not a full harvest, not yet, but it is a sign of hope in the midst of our weary struggle.
So as Jesus says, we can stop worrying! Worry never helps anything anyway. God is providing for our every need, in fact, God has already provided everything we need to do what God has planned for us. It is time to stop looking at what we don't have, and start looking at what we do have. As Jesus says, it is the gentiles, those who don't know God, who are always worrying about where they are going to get all they need. We know where all our blessings come from. We know that God is taking care of us. So therefore, we can look around at what we have, and be grateful.
Look at what we have: We have a good building that can be used by even more of our friends in other groups. We have some wonderful, talented people. We have good solid theology. And most of all, we have the assurance that God has called us and chosen us, has adopted us and put God's spirit upon us, that God has forgive all our sins and put our feet on right paths.
“Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.” God spoke these words to me a long time ago, or rather, when I read them in the Bible, God highlighted them for me and made me understand that this was a job offer straight from God. And that is God's marching orders for us as a congregation, too. “Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.” We don't even have to find them, just seek them.
So where is God's kingdom? Where should we begin looking? We know from other parts of scripture that God is found among the lost and powerless people. We know that God's kingdom is found among the children, for example. And among the poor. And where is God's righteousness? It is found only in Jesus Christ, and is given to us as a free gift, so that we can live in right relationship with every other part of God's creation.
As a congregation, we are making some steps to seek God's kingdom and God's righteousness. We gather to hear the Good News and to accept the forgiveness of sins that gives us God's righteousness. And we are going out into the neighbourhood to find what God is doing out there in God's kingdom. We are welcoming the neighbourhood children to Beavers and Cubs. We are welcoming the neighbourhood families to Messy Church. We are welcoming our neighbours who have struggled with addictions, not only to NA on Tuesday nights, but also now on Friday nights. We are inviting our neighbours who are concerned about Peace and Justice issues, to a new KAIROS group.
And some of us spend all day quilting so that refugees can have warm coverings.
Is it enough? We have God's promise: “Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and everything else will be given to you as well.” So we know that God has already given us everything we need for our quest, and will give us everything else we need as we go forward.
Remember, this is Our Saviour's church, and it only has one Saviour, and that is Jesus Christ. We don't have to save the church, that's God's job. Our job is to rest in the knowledge that God will provide. Thanks be to God! Amen.
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